But now the generals of Demetrius being willing to recover the defeat
they had had, gathered a greater army together than they had before, and
came against Jonathan; but as soon as he was informed of their coming,
he went suddenly to meet them, to the country of Hamoth, for he resolved
to give them no opportunity of coming into Judea; so he pitched his camp
at fifty furlongs' distance from the enemy, and sent out spies to take
a view of their camp, and after what manner they were encamped. When his
spies had given him full information, and had seized upon some of them
by night, who told him the enemy would soon attack him, he, thus apprized
beforehand, provided for his security, and placed watchmen beyond his camp,
and kept all his forces armed all night; and he gave them a charge to be
of good courage, and to have their minds prepared to fight in the night
time, if they should be obliged so to do, lest their enemy's designs should
seem concealed from them. But when Demetrius's commanders were informed
that Jonathan knew what they intended, their counsels were disordered,
and it alarmed them to find that the enemy had discovered those their intentions;
nor did they expect to overcome them any other way, now they had failed
in the snares they had laid for them; for should they hazard an open battle,
they did not think they should be a match for Jonathan's army, so they
resolved to fly; and having lighted many fires, that when the enemy saw
them they might suppose they were there still, they retired. When Jonathan
came to give them battle in the morning in their camp, and found it deserted,
and understood they were fled, he pursued them; yet he could not overtake
them, for they had already passed over the river Eleutherus, and were out
of danger. So when Jonathan was returned thence, he went into Arabia, and
fought against the Nabateans, and drove away a great deal of their prey,
and took [many] captives, and came to Damascus, and there sold off what
he had taken. About the same time it was that Simon his brother went over
all Judea and Palestine, as far as Askelon, and fortified the strong holds;
and when he had made them very strong, both in the edifices erected, and
in the garrisons placed in them, he came to Joppa; and when he had taken
it, he brought a great garrison into it, for he heard that the people of
Joppa were disposed to deliver up the city to Demetrius's generals.